Khama�s golden handshake is daylight robbery
Dithapelo Keorapetse | Friday May 6, 2016 12:26
This law in its current form came into effect in April 1998 to, in what others believed, entice former President Masire to retire and pave way for Festus Mogae. The country currently has two former Presidents covered by this law.
Section 3 of the Act provides that 'Subject to this Act, any person who has been President shall, immediately upon ceasing to hold office as such, be entitled to:
l a tax free monthly pension equivalent to the monthly basic salary attached to the office at the time that that person ceased to hold office, or 80 per cent of the incumbent President's salary, whichever is greater; and
l the benefits set out in the Schedule.' According to Section 4, the surviving spouse of a former President is entitled to 50% what the President was getting as pension. The same is payable to defendants if there's no spouse eg because of death.
A Schedule under the Act covers other benefits including staff. A former President is entitled to such number of security personnel as may be determined by the President, two drivers, one private secretary, secretary and one office attendant. There is also an office and equipment as may be determined by the President.
The former President is entitled to be housed in a house built, furnished and with two maids and one gardner in Gaborone or a housing allowance as may be determined by the President.
The government covers his or her medical insurance. On travels, he or she travels first class air or train internationally or locally and is entitled to per diem as may be determined by the President. The former President is bought three vehicles; one sedan (Mercedes or a equivalent or similar class of motor vehicle), one four wheel drive station wagon and one pick up truck. These vehicles bear BX number plates and are property of the state. The former President has an entertainment allowance and his water and electricity bills are paid for by the state.
All former Presidents should be taken care of, there is no doubt about that. Any person who works hard for their country, including other public servants such as former Vice Presidents, Ministers and Members of Parliament. It is actually more compelling to take care of other public servants other than the President as he or she is the only one who is literally taken care of by the state on a day-to-day basis without expending on anything at all.
That notwithstanding, at retirement he or she must be taken care of by the state, but the reasons for others cited above are more compelling.
When he retires, inferring from the proposed Bill, Khama will likely choose between staying in an official residence plus use of official offices in Gaborone and an allowance in lieu of the house or office. In addition, the Bill proposes 30% of his monthly salary gratuity at the end of every five year term. The Bill further seeks to retain the 80% tax free pension for the former President.
The pension will remain even if he is to be subsequently employed. The retired President has an option to choose between having offices built by the state where he or she prefers of standard determined by the President and office allowance using the prevailing Gaborone market rental rates.
Retired Presidents are normally at the disposal of the state in international assignments. Whether it is Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton in USA or Thabo Mbeki or Kgalema Motlanthe in South Africa or Ketumile Masire or Festus Mogae in Botswana, retired President continue to serve the state at various capacities especially internationally.
For this reason, these people should be taken care of as they, for all intends and purposes remain public servants.
However, what is being proposed in the Bill is unreasonable as it borders on wastage and special treatment of Khama. Khama has never liked international relations, he never attended a single AU and UN meetings for Heads of State and Governments. He seldom does anything international officially except his passion for conservation. On other roles such as SADC chairmanship, it's rotational and he has little choice.
So after retirement, it is unlikely that he would be deployed anywhere to play roles similar to Mogae's or Masire's. The need to spend more on him therefore shouldn't be high, if anything it should diminish.
It is not fair on the taxpayer to pay both gratuity and pension to the retired President who not only was 100% taken care of by the state but will continue to be almost 100% taken care of by the state when he's retired. In other words the President, retired or serving, is taken care of by the state; almost all of his or her expenses are taken care of by the state. It is possible for a President not to use his or her salary and allowances for 10 years because the state pays almost everything.
If the President chooses to have an allowance instead of a house and an office allowance, it is daylight robbery to the taxpayer. If Khama doesn't want to be in Gaborone where he can work and engage in international assignments, the taxpayer shouldn't be made to pay for some of these unnecessary things. Why should he be paid an office allowance for instance?
It is in fact more compelling to have a reasonable pension and gratuity for former Vice President, Ministers and MPs because these public servants aren't really taken care of by the state whilst in office; they fend for themselves throughout their tenure and get a paltry gratuity at the end of five years.
In most cases it is the same gratuity that funds democracy through campaign expenses because there's no public funding of parties and candidates. 'Khama's retirement package' because that is what this proposed Bill is, should be debated frankly and wastage and special treatment clauses be deleted.
It is not fair on the taxpayer and it is not sustainable to have some of the things he wants. The country cannot all the time give special treatment to Khama.